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Thursday, January 16, 2014

Vikings hire Mike Zimmer as Head Coach

The Vikings hired Mike Zimmer as the ninth coach in Vikings history and announced this decision along with quotations in a release late on Wednesday evening. To read the quotes from Vikings staff, follow the jump.

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms with Mike Zimmer, making him the 9th head coach in team history. In his 20 NFL seasons, Zimmer has made 11 playoff appearances, earned 7 division titles and won a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XXX-1995).

“We are excited to welcome Mike as the new leader of the Minnesota Vikings,” said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. “He has a proven track record of success at every stop in the NFL and we look forward to him maintaining that consistency here in Minnesota.”

“I’m grateful to the Wilf family, Rick Spielman and the entire Vikings organization for giving me an opportunity to join a franchise with such a strong tradition and an extremely passionate fan base,” said Zimmer. “I believe in a disciplined and physical brand of football and I look forward to getting to work on leading a team capable of long-term success.”

“Fans will appreciate Mike’s intensity on the field and his down-to-earth attitude off the field,” said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. “We strongly believe he will help us compete for division championships each year and lead us to our ultimate goal of bringing a Super Bowl championship to Minnesota.”

“Mike epitomizes the type of football coach with the vision and the values we were looking for to lead us into the future,” said Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman. “His history of maximizing players’ potential, along with his football knowledge and passion for the game, will be tremendous assets as we enter a new era of Vikings football.”

Including his 20 seasons in the NFL, Zimmer has 35 total years of previous coaching experience. In 2009 he won NFL Assistant Coach of the Year honors from Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America and the PFWA Halas Award, presented to the individual in the NFL that overcame the most adversity to succeed.